Game apparatus



V. F. SLEZAK GAME APPARATUS Nov. 9,, 1937.-

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15, 1935 INVENTOR.

T Z'ncenii. Sig ah BY HIS ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES GAME APPARATUS Vincent F. Slezak, Chicago, Ill., assignor to A. B. T. Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Application May 15, 1935, Serial No. 21,492

Claims.

' described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an amusement game apparatus embodied in a preferred form of the new apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 2--2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the cabinet of a game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 in Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on line 'I'l in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a lateral section of a ball switch showing also circuit connections therefor.

A preferred form of the new game apparatus is shown in the drawings, is therein generally indicated at Ill, and comprises a cabinet II which includes an inclined playing board I2.

Arranged in the cabinet II at one side or" the inclined playing board I2 is a ramp or ball runway I3 and arranged at the lower end of this ramp or runway I3 is a player or propelling device I4 by means of which balls may be propelled, one at a time, onto the upper portion of the inclined playing board I2.

Arranged upon the inclined playin board I2, at spaced intervals thereon, are ball runways 50 which are defined by spaced rails I5, these rails I5 being raised above the inclined playing board l2 (Fig. 2).

The bottom of each runway 50 is defined by a member I6 which is pivotally mounted on the inclined playing board I2, and each of these members It carries a depending pin I1 and each of these pins I! is adapted to engage a relatively movable contact 48, (Figs. 2 and 8), and each of the contacts 48 is adapted to engage a relatively movable contact I8.

A preselected number of pairs of these contacts l8-I 8 are embodied in an electromagnetic circuit I9 (Fig. 8), and each of these circuits I9 in-' cludes an electromagnet 29. Associated with each of these electromagnets 28 is a pivotal make and break contact member 2i and each of these contact members 2I is pivotally connected to an operating pawl 22 (Fig. 5), each of these pawls 22 being engageable with a ratchet 23, these ratchets 23 being mounted upon shafts 2d.

Mounted upon each of the shafts 24 is a takeup roll or reel 25 and having an end portion attached to each of these take-up rolls 25 is a flexible element or ribbon 26; these flexible elements 26 working around guide rollers 27 which are mounted in the cabinet I i, (Fig. 2).

Attached to each of the flexible elements or ribbons 26 is a racing character 28, these characters 28 being shown as having the preferred form of a horse. These characters 28 are mounted on the flexible elements 28 between the end of the latter and are guided in a manner presently to be described.

Each of the flexible elements 26 has one end portion attached to a take-up roll or drum 29 and arranged in each of these take-up rolls or drums 29 is a coil spring 3!]. One end convolution able with this arm 33 is a coin slide it which is.

slidably mounted in the lower end wall 49 of the cabinet II.

Pivotally connected to the ball-retaining member 32, as at 35 (Fig. 3), is a slide bar 36 and pivotally connected to the slide bar 35, as at 3?, is a:

bell crank 38. This bell crank 38 is, in turn, pivotally connected, as at 39, to a slide bar G6 upon which are mounted a series of spaced depending pins 43. Each of. these pins 23 is engageable with an end portion of a pivotal latch meme ber 4| and each of these latch members Q! is pivotally mountedbetween its ends, as at ts, (Fig. 3) in the cabinet I I. One end portion of each of these latch members 4| is engageable with an annular row of pins 42, one of these rows of pins 42 being mounted upon each of the take-up rolls or drums 25.

Each of the racing characters 28 is mounted upon a relatively rigid supporting base 45 and each of these supporting bases 45 has crimped edge portions 46 which are slidably mounted upon spaced guide wires 41 (Fig. '7) it being noted that each of the relatively rigid supportin hases 45 is mounted in, or inserted into, one of the flexible elements or ribbons 26 between the ends of the latter.

Operation In the use of the new game apparatus balls may be propelled one at a time up the ramp I3 V onto the upper portion of the inclined playing board I2, so that they may gravitate 'over the latter and enter into the runway I5.

When a ball enters one of the runways I5 it bears upon the corresponding pivoted member I6 and forces the pin I I carried thereby' down into engagement with the corresponding contact 48, thereby forcing the contact 48 into engagement with the corresponding contact I8, and thus closing the corresponding electro-magnetic circuit I9. This closing of the circuit I9 actuates the solenoid 20 embodied therein and causes the latter to attractthe vibratory or make and break contact 2|, associated therewith, thereby actuating the latter and the corresponding pawl 22, thereby rotating the corresponding ratchet 23, shaft 24, and take-up roll 25 in a step by step motion, (clockwise, Fig. 2); it being noted that these devices 2Il2|22 are of conventional design and are well known in the art. This movement of the take-up drum or roll 25 winds the corresponding flexible element or ribbon 26 therearound, thus advancing the racing character 28 carried thereby (left to right, Fig. 2). During this movement the racing characters 28 are guided by the wires 41 (Fig. 7)

As the flexible elements 26, and the racing characters 28 carried thereby, are thus moved (left to right, Fig. 2)., the flexible elements or ribbons 26 are unwound from the drums 29, and the flexible elements 26 are latched in extended position, against the action of the resetting springs 30, by the engagement of the latch member 4| With the pins 42 on the take-up drums 25. V

The latch members 4| are held in latching engagement with the latch pins 42 by the action of their resetting spring 5| and the latch members 4| are moved out of latching engagement with the pins 42 by operation of the slide bar 40 (from bottom to top as seen in Fig. .3). This movement of the slide bar 4|! is eifected through the operation of the bell crank 38 and the latter is operated by movement of the slide bar 36, which, in turn, is operated by movement of the ball-releasing member 32 (from full to dotted line position, Fig. 3). This movement of the ballreleasing member 32 is effected by operation of the coin slide 34 and discharges the balls retained thereby, at the lower end of the inclined playing board I2, below the latter for return to a point adjacent the elevating means, indicated at 52. c

When a played ball gravitates out of one of the runways I5-I6 it may enter another one of the runways I5 (Fig. l) which is arranged further down the inclined playing board I2, and thereby again close the same electromagnetic circuit I9 (Fig. 8), since the runways I5 are arranged in rows, each row including two or more The guide wires 47 are suitably anchored in the cabinet II at their ends (Fig. 1).

runways arranged at spaced intervals on the inclined playing board I2, (Fig. 1).

After the balls travel out of the lowermost runways I5 they gravitate to the lower end of the inclined playing board I2 and enter onto the thereby, discharging the same below the inclined playing board I2 for return to the elevating device 52.,

At the same time, this movement of the ballretaining member 32 acts, through the slide bar 36 and bell crank 38, to shift the slide bar 4|] (top to bottom, Fig. 2), thereby moving the pins 43, which are carried by the slide bar 40, into engagement with the latch members 4| and thus pivoting the latch members (from full to dotted line position, Fig.3). This movement of the latch members 4| releases thesame from latching engagement with the pins 42 which are mounted on the drums 25, whereupon the tensioned springs 30 act upon the flexible elements 26 and the racing characters 23 carried thereby to reset the latter back into their initial positions (right to left, Fig. 2).

When the coin slide 34 is released for return to its initial position, the spring 53 resets the slide bar 36 and the ball-retaining member or bar 32 back into-their initial positions (right to left, Fig. 3), and this movement of the slide bar 36 acts, through the bell crank 38, to move the slide bar 40 (top to bottom, Fig. 3). This move ment of the slide bar 49 moves the pins 43 carried thereby away from the latch members 4|, whereupon the resetting springs 5| urge the latch members 4| back into latching engagement with the pins 42. a I

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to-be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims. 4

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent isz 1. In a game apparatus of the projected-ball type including a ball playing surface and a control member, mechanism operable by a projected ball for moving a racing character over the ball playingsuriace comprising: a pair ofreelssupported at a distance from each other, a flexible I 'face; electrical means operable by a projected ball for rotating one of said reels to wind said flexible member thereonfrom the other reel and move said character, and means releasable by said control member and including an energy storing device energized by. the aforesaid winding operation or movement and operably associated with said other and last-mentioned reel for rewinding the latter to restoresaid flexible member and figure to an initial position after,-

movement by said first-mentioned winding operation.

2. Game apparatus including a manually operable control, an element moved in playing the game, actuating means arranged for operation by said element, a racing character, and means for supporting and moving said character including a pair of reels and a web member arranged to be wound from one to the other of the reels, said web supporting said racing character for movement over the upper surface of said board, electrornagnetic means operable by said actuating means for turning one of said reels to move said web and figure from an initial position, and releasable means including an energystoring device energized bymovement of the web in the manner aforesaid and released by operation of said manually operable control for turning the other one of said reels in a reversed direction to rewind said web and restore the figure to said initial position.

3. Mechanism for game apparatus of the type having a manual control and a ball playing surface, and a figure movable over said surface by a played ball, said mechanism comprising: a pair of reels having a flexible member windable from one to the other thereof, and said figure being carried by said flexible member and extended above said playing surface for movement thereover by winding movement of said flexible member from one to the other of said reels; an electromagnetically driven device for turning one of said reels to wind said flexible member from an initial position, means controlled by a played ball for operating said device; means including a spring tensioned by said winding operaton for reversibly turning the other one of said reels, releasable means normally preventing reverse movement of said reels by said spring, and release means operable by said manual control for releasing said releasable means whereby said flexible member and the figure carried thereby may be restored to said initial position.

4. Game apparatus including a figure simulating a racing object movable over a course, and actuating means constructed to be engaged and operated by an instrumentality used in playing the game for controlling the movement of said figure determined distances by a playing of the game in a predetermined manner, and mechanism for supporting and moving said racing figure and including a pair of spaced reels, a flexible carrying member attached to said reels and windable from one to the other, said racing figure being attached to said carrying member for movement by the latter over said course, power driven means for turning one of said reels to Wind said flexible carrying member onto the same from the other reel of said pair, said other reel being provided with spring means energized by the aforesaid turning of said first-mentioned reel, releasable latch means cooperable with said other reel to: hold the latter against retrograde movement by said spring means, manually operable means for releasing said latch means, said power driven means being energized by said actuating means.

5. Amusement apparatus including a pair of reels and a flexible element attached to the same and adapted to be Wound back and forth thereon responsive toturning of the reels in opposite directions, a manikin mounted on said flexible element for movement therewith, driving mechanism operable to turn a particular one of said reels to Wind said flexible element thereon, releasable latching means normally preventing retrograde movement of said particular reel, energy storing means adapted to be energized responsive to the Winding movement of said particular reel and adapted when said latch means is released to releasably Wind-in said element from said particular reel, together with control means for releasing said latching means, and means for operating said driving mechanism to turn said particular reel to move said flexible element in the manner aforesaid.

VINCENT F. SLEZAK. 

